DALLAS: Delirium is an acute state of confusion that often affects older adults following surgery or serious illness. Now a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) confirms that inflammation – an immune response that develops when the body attempts to protect itself from harmful stimuli – plays a role in the onset of delirium.
The new study found that older patients with delirium had significantly elevated levels of the inflammatory marker interleukin-6 (IL-6) two days after surgery and also identified elevated levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2) in delirious patients. Together, these findings may help clinicians identify patients at greatest risk of developing delirium and aid in the treatment of this condition, which occurs in up to 64 percent of hospitalized seniors and is associated with a two- to three-fold increase in the subsequent development of dementia.